Bob Baffert leads all other Breeders’ Cup trainers in money won with his starters accounting for more than $30 million in purses. 66 FALL 2020 K KEENELAND.COM Secure at the Top These Breeders’ Cup leaders demonstrate their dominance year after year By Tom Pedulla SKIP DICKSTEIN KEENELAND.COM K FALL 2020 67 Secure at the Top BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON BARBARA D. Prince Khalid Abdullah has left his mark on the all of Fame trainer Breeders’ Cup. Bob Baffert could not take his eyes off of the action as Juddmonte he watched NBC’s telecast of the inau- Farms gural 1984 Breeders’ Leading Owner Cup World Champi- onships run at old Hollywood Park. He was condi- From the moment the Breeders’ Cup was es- Htioning Quarter Horses at the time, but the world of tablished in 1984, it became a major target for Thoroughbreds caught his attention as one stirring Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Judd- race followed another. monte Farms, his international breeding and racing operation. “I got hooked on Thoroughbred racing that day,” Baffert said. No one imagined it would be a maddeningly “It was like the Olympics. It was really exciting because you had elusive target until Banks Hill broke through in the jockeys from Europe, trainers you’ve read about. When it was Filly & Mare Turf in 2001. all over, I thought, ‘Maybe I can do that.’ ” “Every year we’d go to the Breeders’ Cup and He can do that, all right. not get a winner,” recalled Garrett O’Rourke, Based on earnings, no one has done it better in Breed- Juddmonte’s manager in the United States. “You’d ers’ Cup history. The same can be said for leading owner walk away and say, ‘We’ve had some good days Juddmonte Farms, top breeder Adena Springs, and premier and horses that ran well.’ You’d give all of the stock jockey Mike Smith, who made like Secretariat in the Belmont, excuses.” creating a tremendous margin against his fellow riders. Juddmonte, of course, is about performance, not To all of them, their unrivaled success means everything. excuses. There was little doubt the cream would “When you win a Breeders’ Cup race,” Smith said, “it means eventually rise to the top. you beat the best in the country, the best in the world, in the Banks Hill leads a parade of impressive win- c at e g or y.” ners: Intercontinental (Filly & Mare Turf, 2005), Here is a look at the best of the best in Breeders’ Cup history: Ventura (Filly & Mare Sprint, 2008), Midday (Fil- ly & Mare Turf, 2009), Arrogate (Classic, 2016), Enable (Turf, 2018), and Expert Eye (Mile, 2018). In all, Juddmonte’s 80 starts have accounted for seven victories, 10 runner-up finishes, and eight third-place efforts for $16,815,820 in earnings. 68 FALL 2020 K KEENELAND.COM THE BREEDERS’ CUP… JUST DRIVES ME TO A DIFFERENT‘‘ LEVEL.” — JOCKEY MIKE SMITH SKIP DICKSTEIN Worthy rival Godolphin Racing owns an Banks Hill secured Juddmonte’s first Breeders’ Cup victory in 2001. equal number of wins from 91 starts and ranks second with $15,061,735 in purses. As lofty as Juddmonte’s success is, O’Rourke views it as keeping to Prince Khalid’s vision. “His goal has always been to produce horses capable of running in the very, very best events in the world, whether that be the classics in England, the Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders’ Cup,” the manager said. In the case of the magnificent Enable, she became the first to combine the Arc with a Breeders’ Cup score when she staged a furious rally down the center of the track at Churchill Downs to beat rivals in the taxing one-and- a-half-mile Turf. She became just the fourth female to prevail in the Turf. It doubled Juddmonte’s pleasure that Expert Eye also delivered on the same day. He EBERHARDT ANNE M. bore Prince Khalid’s famous silks — green, Intercontinental earned Juddmonte its second win in the Filly & Mare Turf. pink sash and cap, white sleeves — across the finish line first in the Mile. Six of Juddmonte’s winners were home- breds. “It’s like someone with their kids. There is an extra pride when they succeed,” O’Rourke said. Arrogate stands as the lone exception. His acquisition — a $560,000 purchase at Keene- land’s 2014 September yearling sale — makes a powerful statement about Juddmonte. When Prince Khalid sought success with Baffert, O’Rourke noted how difficult that SKIP DICKSTEIN EBERHARDT ANNE M. might be for an operation focused on breeding Arrogate defeated California Chrome in a thrilling renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He retired to Juddmonte’s Lexington division (pictured with Garrett for turf superiority. O’Rourke) before dying unexpectedly in 2020. “Let’s go and buy them,” replied the KEENELAND.COM K FALL 2020 69 Secure at the Top SKIP DICKSTEIN SKIP DICKSTEIN Juddmonte’s Enable delivered an unforgettable Turf Awesome Again’s victory in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic proved a victory in 2018. harbinger for Adena Springs’ success in the event. undeterred Prince Khalid. in a row from 2004-08 before striking again A team of experts was dispatched to the in 2010 and 2011. The operation still holds Keeneland auction, which perennially offers a commanding advantage with $10,112,400 quality in abundance. And when Arrogate in Breeders’ Cup earnings. Juddmonte swept past the great California Chrome in Farms, its closest pursuer, has $7,973,820. the shadow of the Santa Anita wire in the Stronach, 87, has never been afraid to 2016 Classic, he represented yet another think big. When asked during a 2017 inter- bold and brilliant move by Juddmonte. view with America’s Best Racing about his accomplishments, he replied, “If you use your imagination, there is no limit.” In addition to his breeding prowess, Adena Stronach earned four Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Owner and accepted the high- Springs est honor, the Eclipse Award of Merit, in EBERHARDT ANNE M. 2018. He is the most decorated individual in Frank Stronach Leading Breeder the history of the awards. Eric Hamelback worked almost 15 years Adena produced Breeders’ Cup victors for Adena and served as general manager Awesome Again (Classic, 1998), Macho Frank Stronach and members of his fam- from late 2006 until the end of 2014. He Uno (Juvenile, 2000), Perfect Sting (Filly ily secured their place in racing and Breed- noted that Stronach and his family mem- & Mare Turf, 2000), Ghostzapper (Classic, ers’ Cup history more than a decade ago bers set the bar high. 2004), Ginger Punch (Distaff, 2007), and through Adena Springs’ success. “I would define our mission as achieving Judy the Beauty (Filly & Mare Sprint, 2014). Stronach received an individual Eclipse excellence,” he said, adding, “We are all very, Judy the Beauty was bred by Adena and was Award as Outstanding Breeder in 2000; very proud of the accomplishments we had bought by and raced for Wesley Ward. then Adena rattled off five Eclipse Awards as a team.” Awesome Again was indeed aw esome 70 FALL 2020 K KEENELAND.COM again because he sired Ghostzap- per, Horse of the Year in 2004. Bobby Frankel, the late Hall of Fame trainer, described Ghostzapper as the “best horse I ever trained.” Ghostzapper still boasts the fastest Classic in Cup history, blazing the mile and a quarter in 1:59.02 as part SKIP DICKSTEIN SKIP DICKSTEIN of his gate-to-wire domination at Lone Stronach leads in Juvenile winner Ghostzapper gave Adena anoth- Star Park. Macho Uno. er Classic victory in 2004. Hamelback said of Awesome Again: “From racetrack to breeding shed, he’s definitely the cornerstone of the program at Adena.” He took equal pride, though, in Judy the Beauty. She was a $20,000 bargain for trainer Wesley Ward at the 2010 Keene- land September yearling sale that earned almost $2 million, illustrating one of the enduring beauties of racing. Great run- ANNE M. EBERHARDT ANNE M. ners can come at any price. HARMON CHAD B. Adena bred 2014 Filly & Mare Sprint Awesome Again went from racetrack winner Judy the Beauty. to stallion success. DAVID COYLE DAVID Adena Springs continues to breed high-quality Thoroughbreds. KEENELAND.COM K FALL 2020 71 Secure at the Top BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON BARBARA D. ANNE M. EBERHARDT ANNE M. Baffert began as a Quarter Horse trainer. Thirty Slews gave Baffert his first Breeders’ Cup victory when the gelding took the 1992 Sprint. annually ensures the event will have an background for his Sprint and Juvenile Bob Baffert international flavor, ranks second with accomplishments. It taught him how to $23,895,590. bring out every bit of a runner’s speed Baffert got a late start and, for him, — at an early age. Leading Trainer a slow start. Thirty Slews supplied his It took him some time to decipher first winner, in the 1992 Sprint. The how to reel in the biggest fish of all Baffert learned hard lessons that helped him gray son of Slewpy illustrates Baffert’s — the Classic. But, of course, he fig- to understand how much Breeders’ Cup success keen eye for a horse. He saw poten- ured that out, too. As in three in a row depends on timing. With so many attractive races tial in Thirty Slews that others did not starting with Bayern and followed by available during the spring and summer, it is no and landed him for a relatively mod- American Pharoah and Arrogate. mean feat to have an elite horse ready to run its est $30,000 at the 1988 Keeneland American Pharoah’s 6½-length tour biggest race at the close of what can be a very September yearling sale.